Revenge at Last
Here's some fanfiction my fifth grade friends wrote. There's a lot of violence and death, so read at your own risk! Enjoy! Prologue A beautiful tabby she-cat lay in a moon-washed clearing, her agonized moans floating through the still night air. Her once-golden pelt was stained with scarlet blood and her broken body lay against an old elm tree. The stars and new moon swam in her vision as she let out a tormented yowl. Her body heaved desperately and she sank to the ground, hardly having enough strength to nip the sacs of the three little kits that now lay beside her. One, a she-kit, mewled quietly. The second batted at her mother’s body with her tiny paws. But the third lay still; still as a stone, his small body completely motionless. With an effort, the tabby nudged the still body with one of her paws. It was no use; the kit had been born dead. The tabby she-cat couldn’t see her remaining kits. She saw red. She saw blood. And she knew her kits were covered in blood too. But she knew that they had been born with their eyes open, unlike most kits. And she knew they could hear her. She pushed away all her pain and suffering and began. “Dove and Thorn...” She paused, catching her breath in short gasps. But her time was running out, so she pushed on. “Remember my words, always... “Be courageous. Be strong. Never stop and stick together, for the path to vengeance is hard.” Her voice drifted as her eyes started to glaze. “Be unforgiving, but not reckless. Be merciless to those who wrong you in any way... Because mercy will lead you nowhere. Remain rogues at heart. Make them pay. And... “Show the Clan cats who you are. “And tell your father that he will never, ever be forgiven.” She barely got her final words out as her vision started to pulse. Bright, then dark, and unbearable pain. “Make them regret what they have done. “To us.” She slumped downwards, protecting her kits in the curve of her belly. Blood pooled out onto the ground, staining the grass red. The last of her life drained from her body. Her limbs stilled; her eyes glazed. She breathed one last breath. All her agony and suffering, would be gone in just a moment... ...when the Wild Princess, Alvaria, daughter of the Mountain King and the Forest Queen, departed from the world of the living. Two Days Later It was a cold, bitter morning when the deputy of CloudClan found the kits. One was unmoving, dead from birth, it seemed, cold and tiny, with its paws over its head. The black tom felt an ache in his heart at the sight of the small, limp body. So innocent, so defenseless, so weak. A tiny whimper alerted him to something else. Two kits, half-dead, but not dead yet. They were half-starved and half-frozen, nuzzling against their mother’s matted fur. Their mother was dead too. So much death, the black tom thought mournfully as he gently turned the beautiful dead cat over to get a better look at her face. Her eyes were open wide, and the tom flinched at the terrorized expression on her face. The she-cat was beautiful. She looked like someone he used to know. He suddenly became afraid... Afraid that he would see the truth that haunted his past. Afraid that his mistakes would come back to hurt him. Afraid that they would call to him, asking him how he could have let this happen. Telling him that he’d failed, and why’d he been so ruthless, so cowardly, so— So blind to the truth. But it was too late to shy away; too late to flee and try to forget what had happened. But then again, he couldn’t just leave the kits there to die alone in the cold new-leaf. But what would happen next if he returned to the camp with the kits? Would his leader banish him for bringing in strays? They are kits, he told himself firmly. They deserve to have a second chance at life. So, he grabbed their two matted scruffs and took one last, grief-stricken look at the other two blood-stained bodies, and left. His paws left imprints on the dew-flecked grass, like an echo of his past. Chapter 1 Lilacfur glowered at Dove and Thorn from her nest, turning her head to look at them. “You’re eating us out of prey, and you’ve only been here for three moons,” she snapped, “We should have never accepted you in the first place. I should have never accepted you.” The sisters gave their foster mother a pleading look. “Just a bit of sparrow, please?” Thorn begged, speaking for both of them. “The fresh-kill pile- it-it’s “ “It doesn’t matter if it’s full or not!” Lilacfur exploded, her fur bristling with anger, “What’s wrong is that you two aren’t even clan cats and you eat the hard work that we hunt. You’re like kittypets.” She turned away, muttering under her breath, “Should have never volunteered to foster those strays... useless scraps... why doesn’t Mistysky drive them out…” “C’mon, let’s get away from her.” Dove murmured quietly, and the sisters padded out of the den as Lilacfur glared at them, her plump belly showing against the dark shadows. “She’s just grumpy,” Thorn said quietly, “Her sister is sick, and-” A yowl, slightly mournful echoed around the enclosed camp “Let all cats of this Clan gather at the Cloud Rock.” A murmur of knowing was whispered among the clan cats, and Thorn and Dove felt a sense of foreboding as many of the cats turned to look at them with pity, dislike, and gladness in their eyes. Pretending that nothing was wrong, pretending that their future was not at stake, the two small she-kits made their way to the Cloud Rock, ignoring the quiet murmurs around them. “Cats-” Mistysky paused and glanced meaningfully at Thorn and Dove, “Clan-born cats of Cloud Clan,” she paused again, her gaze sweeping over her Clan proudly. “Today is the day that we will say farewell to these two stray kits, found mysteriously at the border one day by my deputy. These kits, Thorn and Dove, will leave today, and can try and survive on their own in the wild. I do not mean this for bad intention, but one of our cats,” she gave a proud smile at Lilacfur who beamed, “Is going to have kits, and that means that we will have more than ten. That means we will be breaking the law of Star Clan, our ancestors, so I and Nighttail have come up with a solution.” She raised her head. “Thorn and Dove will leave, for they are not Clan-born cats.” She smiled again, not entirely peacefully, but just for show. She leapt gracefully down the rock, her paws echoing on the stone below. “Thorn and Dove,” she said. She unsheathed her claws. She gave each kit a clear, penetrating stare that made them bow their head in fear and back away. “We have enjoyed your stay here, but it is your time to go.” she meowed icily. She nodded to the jet-black tom, who was sitting at the base of the rock, “Take them to the border, make sure they leave for good, and then come back.” She snorted slightly, “They are just kits. You don’t need a patrol.” She turned around swiftly, but not before looking back one final time. “I trust you, Nighttail,” she hissed. “Don’t betray me again.” Nighttail, nodded, and stated clearly, “A good decision Mistysky, the kits do not belong in the clan.” Though his voice was clear and steady, there was something about the fear and grief in his eyes that objected to his tone, as if he was hiding a secret behind the mask of confidence. “I will obey your orders.” He turned to the kits; his eyes suddenly dark. A small hiss escaped from his throat. “Go.” He jumped to his paws. “I don’t need to tell you twice, do I?” He bared his fangs and Dove and Thorn backed away, their expressions nervous and fearful. With a yowl, Nighttail leapt at the kits, who scrambled away. Swift on his paws, he chased the kits out of the camp. They would never return. They were banished. But they would come back… Someday. Chapter 2 It had been a day, since Nighttail, the bitter black tom, had chased them out of the camp. Wandering on the hillsides, they found nothing to eat, and by evening, they admitted their defeat. Wearily, stumbling over their own paws, they made their way up the hill, suddenly seeing a bright flash of light. “Who could it be?” breathed Dove, her eyes round and wide. They suddenly grew eager and curious, the personality most kits seem to adapt after one moon, and scampered toward the light. They saw a strange creature, with two feet, pink hairless skin, looming over them. He held an unusual cylinder that seemed to emit the light. He made some strange sounds, his deep, rich voice washing over them like soothing music. Tuckered out and sleepy, they let themselves be taken to a small box, with soft, colorful pelts inside. Within moments, they were asleep. Bright light washed over Thorn as she awoke, and as she found herself face to face with a giant eye. She let out a petrified squeak and a deep bellow of laughter echoed around the small, enclosed area. Some unusual brown pellets were placed in front of her in a strange leaf-tray. Thorn poked at the food curiously. The rattling of the pellets awoke Dove, and they ate. The brown food was strange and not very tasty, but Thorn ate to her stomach's content. At least I won’t have to worry about Lilacfur hissing at me, she thought gladly, in spite of the taste. The creature reached a hairless pink paw in and grabbed her. She yowled frantically, twisting and fighting for freedom from the cold, clammy paw, but she couldn’t struggle free. Dove had befallen the same fate, as she was being plucked out. The creature made a series of rapid but soothing noises, and then put them outside, on the grass. They stood still for a moment, as if not realizing that they were free. Then Thorn meowed, “The creature is nice to us. He is not like Lilacfur.” Dove cocked her head. “We could stay with him for a while for their food and then leave when we are at the apprentice age.” “That is a good idea,” agreed Thorn. “But we will have to leave at some point.” “How about... Our sixth moon?” requested Dove. Thorn tipped her head, pondering the possibility. “That would work.” “What do we do then?” asked Dove, her tail twitching nervously. “What happens then?” Thorn shrugged, “I guess we have to live on our own. Unless more cats join us... Then we wouldn’t have to live on our own.” Dove’s eyes gleamed with an unnerving hunger that Thorn noticed with a jolt. “I agree.” “We must remember what our mother said,” Thorn murmured. “Take revenge on the Clan cats.” Both sisters’ eyes blazed with fury and hatred. “The Clan cats that drove us out,” Dove joined in. “The cats that left us to die and starve,” Thorn continued. “The cats who cared more about a ‘true Clan kit’ than us,” Dove growled. “They will pay,” snarled Thorn. “With their lives,” hissed the sisters together. They seemed to be angry at an unknown cat, or rather—unknown cats. The Clan cats. A loud yowl made them both jump. The Noclaw was standing at the entrance to the den, waving his pink paws at them. Thorn tilted her head and stared at the Noclaw, scanning him cautiously. The sisters looked at each other, eyes hesitant, yet bold. The Noclaw stepped towards them. They each looked at him fearfully, unsure. Then the sprinted across the yard, tails flying and ducked between the gaps in a strange wall made of strips of wood. The Noclaw let out a surprised-sounding yowl and ran towards them, his clumsy paws stumbling across the grass. The two sisters, Dove and Thorn, daughters of the Mountain King and Forest Queen, were free. Free. And they knew what to do. It was time for them to live up to their fate that had been laid out for them moons before they were born. To what would someday be their destiny. Their path… Their life. Chapter 3 The two sisters curled up into tight balls, pressing against each other for warmth. A day of escaping the clans had left them exhausted. “We can’t flee them forever,” Thorn meowed; her voice tired yet determined. “We have to fight them.” Dove lifted her claws, and they caught the moonlight, glinting dangerously in the silver light, “For vengeance,” she hissed, “For mother.” “We could to go to the rogues.” Thorn suggested quietly, “The rogues seek vengeance as well.” Dove nodded, “They will be our army.” “We will attack.” “For vengeance.” the sisters growled together. “For mother.” The sisters lay still in the dew-soaked grass, and fell asleep, dreaming of the day… The day when they would finally get their revenge. Thorn looked up sleepily, the sun was up. It was time. She leapt to her paws and pawed Dove awake. Wordlessly, they went down the slope, toward the wasteland where the rogues lived. The wasteland spread along for miles, and seemed to go all the way to the horizon. Burning sand covered the land, and a few scraggly trees and plants dotted the golden terrain. Dove looked at the land forlornly, and she hissed softly. “There’s no prey,” she said in wonder, “No trees.” Thorn glanced around and meowed, “There are snakes…” Dove flicked her tail. “If we figure out how to hunt them prey wouldn’t be a problem.” They padded onwards, keeping their eyes alert for any snakes that might try to attack them. They stopped at a small oasis, but just then, a snake rose up from the sand, flicking its forked tongue, and lunged at Dove. Fast as a mouse, Thorn grabbed its neck and threw it back, and Dove leapt on it. The snake squirmed out of Dove’s grasp, and lunged at Thorn instead. Thorn easily jumped aside and dug her claws into the scale’s thick hide, viciously scoring a deep gash in its side. Dove grabbed the snake and threw it in the air, kicking out at it with her hind legs. The snake landed against a tree, where it lay winded. Thorn was on it in an instant and sliced it down the back. The snake hissed in pain before falling to the ground, still. Blood spurted from its mouth. “Well, that looks dead," remarked Dove. “Mother--" she paused, hesitating. “Mom told us that they were edible. They were pretty easy to kill though." “It wasn’t that easy,” Thorn remarked, “Throwing it against a tree is helpful though.” “True.” Dove turned the snake over with her paw. “Aren’t you hungry?” Thorn gouged a chunk of snake meat out of the snake’s belly. “Let’s eat,” Dove meowed, “We should-” A deep growl interrupted her and they whirled around. A dark gray tom stood in front of them, glaring at them ferociously. “Who are you?” he growled, “Why are you in rogue territory?” He paused for a second. “You smell like clan cats.” He glowered at them angrily. “Haven’t you stolen enough from us already?” At the word Clan, Thorn and Dove hissed. “Why would we be foolish Clan cats?” hissed Dove contemptuously. Thorn nodded in agreement. “They drove us out,” she growled. “And I should trust you?” the dark gray tom snarled. “Why would we be lying?” Thorn twisted around, and the dark gray tom narrowed his eyes to the crimson scratches scoring her flank. “Do clan cats do this to their own clanmates?” The dark gray tom glared at them harder, “Still doesn’t give you an excuse for entering rouge territory.” he growled. He stood on his hind paws and looked down at them angrily, “After all,” he hissed, “I am the leader of the rogues.” ` He dropped back down to all fours, “If you come here seeking shelter, you must bow down to me.” “Oh,” Thorn said, “That is a problem then.” The tom cocked his head, and narrowed his eyes at them, “Why a problem?” he meowed, “Am I, Flint, the problem?” “The problem,” Dove meowed smoothly, “Is that we are here to be leaders of the rogues.” “We killed a snake.” Thorn meowed. “We escaped clan cats and a twoleg.” Dove added. Thorn cocked her head, “So why shouldn’t we be the leaders?” “Because you’re just-” Flint stopped abruptly and turned around as a brown tabby raced towards them. She stopped breathless in front of them and meowed, “Really? You can kill snakes? We would really need your help! Snakes kill us! One almost killed my brother and now he’s recovering in the camp! We really need your help.” she paused and started pleadingly at them, “We really, really need your help. It’s life-threatening.” Flint glared at the tabby, “Nonsense, Fern.” he growled, “We can easily kill snakes ourselves.” Fern glared at Flint, “Stop pretending Flint.” she hissed, “A lot of your cats get killed by snakes.” Thorn stepped forward, “We will be your leaders.” “Show us your camp,” Dove commanded, “Now.” Chapter 4 Fern and Flint led the way to a small clearing. Four great oaks stood in the corners of the clearing, and small branches and pine needles littered the ground. “This is our camp,” Fern said proudly. “This?” Thorn wrinkled her nose. It was hardly a place for the large number of rogues that were there—hardly enough for four cats to live in separate dens. “This is our—your camp?” “What?” Flint asked suspiciously, “What’s with it?” “Well,” Dove began. “It is extremely tiny.” “Well,” Fern meowed hesitantly, “It is a bit too small.” “A bit!” Dove scoffed. She waved her tail in the air in amusement. “It’s like a home for ants.” Flint drew back, looking offended. “And you have better?” “Obviously,” Thorn snapped. “Your new camp will be here.” “Here.” Flint looked unimpressed. “You said it was too small.” “My exact words were tiny, thank you very much,” replied Thorn without hesitation. “Dove?” “Clear out those bushes, knock out those brambles, and dig up those other stumps.” Dove waved her tail at the objects she wanted to remove. “Then it will be big enough. Oh, and also move those boulders and fallen branches. Perfect.” “What is that horrid smell?” Thorn wrinkled her nose. “What is that putrid stink?” “Uh,” Fern looked guilty. “The rogues do dirt just outside the camp.” She brightened, “But we can stop doing it from now on.” “That is sad. Sad,” Dove said loftily. “What type of group is this?” “My group,” snarled Flint, “And remember that I am still leader.” “Oh! Really?” Thorn faked a mock expression of hurt and dismay. “Oh, no! What are we ever going to do? Listen to us,” she snapped, resuming her calm expression. “If you want to get revenge on the clan cats,” she paused for effect, “then you have to listen to us.” “What was it that you said about snakes?” Fern said quietly. “Can you help my brother? He’s--” A brown tabby tom with a white fleck on his chest gave a sudden yowl of pain, striking a paw in the air. He thrashed helplessly, the whites of his eyes showing all around. “What is happening?” Fern’s face was the picture of pure horror. She raced over to her brother. “Branch! Branch! Listen! PLEASE DON’T DIE!” The tabby tom—Branch, it seemed—was foaming at the mouth, thrashing and convulsing in pain. “Help! Help!” Fern cried. “Help! Someone! Please!” A tortoiseshell came over to her side, “It’s too late, Fern,” she meowed sadly, “We have not developed an antidote for snake poison. I’m sorry, but I can’t-won’t be able to save him.” “It can’t be,” Fern wailed. “He’s my only kin left.” Branch’s legs twitched and he stretched in a terrible spasm, his eyes wide open in horror, and then he fell still. Fern’s yowl of desperation turned into a squeal of agonized grief. “No!” “I’m so sorry for you Fern,” Dove meowed with mock sympathy, “So sorry.” “Maybe this can comfort you,” Thorn suggested, “It’s his fault he died. His fault. Not yours.” “It still weighs me down,” wailed Fern. “He is dead. Dead.” “Stop being such a weakling!” snapped Dove, and Fern flinched. “He was a weakling, if you think about it,” said Thorn. “How could he let himself be killed by a snake?” Fern appeared provoked. “So, you can hunt snakes without dying?” “Why not?” Dove responded. “We can show you.” “Come along,” beckoned Thorn. “Snakes are abundant in these areas.” Fern jumped to stand beside Thorn. “I need to know,” she sobbed, giving a final glance towards the body of her brother. Anger sparked in her grief-stricken eyes, as she padded along behind them. Chapter 5 Dove calmly walked along with Thorn, Fern behind them. Flint followed cautiously behind. “Snakes, eh?” Flint sounded undaunted, though the sisters knew that he couldn’t even kill one. “Those are easy,” Flint meowed in disgust. “You will never be the leaders.” A flicker of movement behind a bush made them stop. “An adder,” whispered Fern in fear. “One killed my brother.” “An adder?” Dove spluttered in exasperation, making no effort to stay quiet. “Just an adder?” Fern glanced at her, but remained quiet while Thorn creeped up behind the snake. Dove planted herself in front of the snake, hissing quietly. By some unseen cue, Dove leaped at the snake and dug her claws into it, flinging it at a tree. It hit it with a thump and slid to the ground, winded. Thorn leaped onto it and bit its neck, finally killing it. “Have some,” Thorn said conversationally. When no reply came, she asked, “What? You’ve never eaten snake before?” “Uh, no,” Fern replied after a moment. “We--we haven’t been able to kill one yet.” She gouged a chunk of snake meat out of the snake’s body and sniffed it. “Meaty,” she reported, before popping it into her mouth. “But--but—how?” spluttered Flint. Thorn glanced at him, and he immediately straightened, “I could kill one too,” he growled. “This doesn’t mean that you can be leader.” “Flint,” Fern meowed angrily, “Shut your ignorant mouth.” Flint glanced behind Fern, and hissed softly at the crowd of gathering cats. He drew himself up and glared at Dove and Thorn, “After all this,” he meowed smoothly, “You are forgetting one important reason why you two can’t be leader.” He paused purposefully and glared at them. “You are just kits,” he hissed pointedly. “Just kits.” “Just kits?” Thorn meowed, looking offended, “Just kits?” “Who are the ones that can kill snakes?” Dove inquired. “The ones that escaped the clan cats?” “The ones that escaped a Twoleg.” “The ones that are just kits.” The crowd gathering behind them stirred softly, and then the same tortoiseshell stepped up. “Why do we need leaders that can to that?” she meowed quietly. “We are happy as we are, we don’t need to change. The only thing we need is--” she paused and a hint of hate entered her eyes. “We need vengeance.” Her eyes flickered with anger for a moment, but Thorn thought she had just imagined it. “We can help you bring vengeance on the clans,” Thorn hissed. “We can make you rule the mountains and forests.” She paused, then growled, “We will lead you to kill the clan cats who will die under our claws.” Hunger gleamed in some of the cat’s eyes, including Flint’s. “You can be our leaders,” a cat meowed, finally. “For vengeance.” Satisfaction glinted in the eyes of Dove and Thorn. “You have made the right choice,” hissed Dove, stepping forward. A triumphant gleam appeared in her eyes. “We will let you be leader,” a cat called out. “But we will not let you be leader if you disappoint us.” “No, you won’t have to do that,” scoffed Thorn, “We won’t fail.” She unsheathed her claws and let them gleam, snarling savagely. “We seek vengeance as well.” Category:Fanfictions Category:Fanfictions (Incomplete) Category:Fanfictions (Fanon)